Tag Archives: World Health Organization

Three centuries ago, the Persians enjoyed what is known as the hookah. This is a pipe connected to a bowl of water that is heated and the vapour steams the flavoured tobacco, cannabis or hashish. When the hookah spread around the world it was called shisha. It literally is a pipe version of a cigarette and according to the World Health Organization in one session you end up inhaling as much as a person would if they took one hundred cigarettes.

There is no doubt that shisha is bad for the health. In fact it is bad for the society. The Akbar Empire era is long over and we are better aware of the health risks that tobacco has so why take the chance? Using this water pipe means being able to contract tuberculosis or hepatitis easily especially if shared. Even if you have your own piece, still there is no significant proof that it is safe. While the water contains the concentration of the nicotine, the person smoking does end up taking more and longer puffs because they do not see the smoke going up in the air and think there is really no harm being done.

While previously it was only restricted to older males smoking shisha, it has widely spread to the younger males and now even females between the ages of 18 and 24 years especially in the cities. Since the tobacco for shisha comes in different flavours it offers an alternative than the usual cigarette and on that pretext many youngsters are experimenting. Herbal shisha too contains nicotine so really there is no difference and your health is at risk.

Shisha smoking is usually found in high-end bars because the assembly and ingredients required are plenty. You can smoke a cigarette anywhere but to have shisha you need the water pipe, charcoal and of course the tobacco. This means sitting down and taking the puffs, thus the bar has to be designed accordingly. Eventually it is promoting a culture of being high and cozy, which can lead to unsolicited activities at the place or thereafter. Of course even drinking alcohol in public can result to the person getting high and losing control of their talk and walk and perhaps cause a fight or engage in sexual violence. Taking shisha is just as close to the cliff too.

Just like a glass of wine can loosen the tongue and get the conversation flowing, so can a puff of shisha, but at what expense? The rich and spoilt children of especially Nairobi are using shisha smoking as an excuse to chill out and faze out from the realities that they should be facing. They become lethargic and unresponsive to real life. Shisha smoking is a way for them to kill time. If it is a part of the Arab culture to have shisha then go an enjoy it in their part of the world, there is no need to spread second hand smoke to the rest. Getting that one kick can literally kick you out of life, trying taking in the fumes of your car exhaust and you know where you will end up.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health Cleopha Mailu has rightfully banned shisha in Kenya. Businessmen who are crying for loss of business should remember that dealing in shisha is actually signing up a slow death warrant for your customer. The ban is an excellent way to stop this lazy habit of “socializing”. However he should combine efforts with the Ministry of Sports and Culture, because at the end of the day people do want to socialize and youngsters need their space for enjoyment. This enjoyment should be productive and in the form of sports, arts, music and dance. To enable these activities to happen cost effectively the service providers should get as much assistance as possible to penetrate the youth to keep them busy and competitive.

Finally social vices begin at home just like charity, what you show your kids are what they will emulate later on. While you can’t keep a leash on them, educate them on what is happening from your point of view and not wait for them to Google their symptoms.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi

According to the International Suicide Prevention Association, “every year, more than 800,000 people die by suicide and up to 25 times as many make a suicide attempt.”

According to the World Health Organization:

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.

78% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Ingestion of pesticide, hanging and firearms are among the most common methods of suicide globally.

While Sri Lanka is on top of the list with the highest number of suicides, India comes at 24, USA 48 and Kenya at 84.

Almost 90% of those who commit suicide have known to have had a mental illness, the leading one being depression. But why are people depressed?

The challenges differ from country to country. In the USA 50% of all suicides are committed using firearms and it is the highest amongst white men middle aged due to depression.

In Kenya the highest suicide rate is amongst the students because of financial problems, HIV/AIDS and depression.

In Japan, Aokigahara which is also known, as the Sea of Trees is their suicide forest, where once upon a time up to 105 suicides were documented yearly.

The causes of suicide range from mental illness, which includes depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Then there are the traumatic experiences, which include war and sexual abuse. While poor financial circumstances, unemployment is also common, weak family ties, relationship issues and nowadays loneliness has become very high risk factors.

The case of children feeling neglected in a divorce or separation can also cause them to take their own lives.

Any human being neglected is at high risk of being attacked or losing their mind enough to defy life. This vulnerability unfortunately is growing despite the huge advances in communications. We can see each other whenever and wherever but when we cannot touch and feel, we can loose sense of feeling, being and love. We can give up and we can get lost in darkness which can lead to severe depression and then subsequently suicide.

Drug abusers are not saved from this situation either because even depression leads them to take that puff to feel high and happy. In the end, what matters most are where is your happiness coming from? What is the value of happiness are you giving yourself, what is the value of life and people around you? What is your value? There are now more than ever the spread of positive attitude and learning curves on how to make your life better, stronger and meaningful and no even religion cannot save you from this hellhole. You alone have to come out of this thing called, loss, and the loss of life.

Saving a life is the greatest gift. Try and detect early, for example a tantrum may not be the sign of a suicidal but a pattern of tantrums can be worrying. Seek immediate counselling because the victim is causing self harm and you probably have no idea and remember self harm can be emotional or physical. The signs are light but if you are empathetic you can easily get a hold of them and compassionately save a life.

The word Sarahah is an Arabic word and it means “honesty”. This new word is also an App that has gone viral because of its purpose, which is to send “honest” but anonymous messages to whomever you like. But guess what it is not the first app to exist and do so; there was the Secret in 2014 and then the Whisper in 2012.

Whisper still exists and on their website they have stated the following: “if would you like to prevent your child from having access to the Whisper app, you can do so by placing restrictions on their device.”

After the break out story of Edward Snowden there have been several attempts to have secret chats, for example the Telegram offers self-destruct option for your chats and end-to-end encryption where only messages are read by the its intended recipient.

Sarahah was designed so that employees could freely give feedback but when the teens caught on it became viral. The ironical part is that it was created in Saudi Arabia by a developer called ZainAlabdin Tawfiq and he did it because he thought it was the best way to share “constructive feedback”.

These secret apps are weapons of cyber bullying. In a recent survey titled “Eleventh National Poll on Children’s Healthy” by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in the US parents recognize cyber bullying as serious health and threat issue to their children to up to 30% of the cases.

According to the research done by the University of Birmingham, children and young people under-25 that become victims of cyber bullying are more than twice as likely to enact self-harm and attempt suicide than non-victims.

Just when we thought the Blue Whale Challenge is under control, India has been reporting a few cases across Mumbai, Delhi and Indore. This is an Internet game where after playing it for 50 days the player has to commit suicide. To show his progress, the player is asked to share photos at every level where there is also a sign of self-harm as that is part of the game.

However there are claims too that there is no conclusive evidence that this game really did result into suicides in Russia. According to a watchdog site SNOPES; they claim “The reasons teenagers commit suicide are well researched. According to data from the General Prosecutor’s Office, in Russia 62% of suicides among adolescents are associated with family conflicts and general distress, conflicts with teachers, classmates, friends, and also with the fear of violence by adults and callousness of others. From a report on the topic from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the increase in the number of suicides “occurs in times of economic crisis and sharp social change.” For example, in Russia there was an increase the number of suicides from 1987 to 1994, when the USSR collapsed. As soon as the company adapted to its new socio-economic conditions, the number of suicides stabilized.”

This actually also opens up a very serious problem that is probably being ignored over the hype of these “secret chat apps”. Why are teens and children gravitating to these to share their feelings and have conversations?

Fear should run down your spine because girls from 6 years of age are body and image conscious and dieting according to the Journal of Adolescent Health UK.

Also according to Young Minds UK one in 10 children and young people aged 5 – 16 suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder –around three children in every class.

These are not related to Western or developed countries, because of the Internet accessibility worldwide even 3rd world countries are showing serious signs of children mental disorders and suicides. According to the World Health Organization “the burden of depression and other mental health conditions is on the rise globally. A World Health Assembly resolution passed in May 2013 has called for a comprehensive, coordinated response to mental disorders at country level.”

The main agenda should be to focus on the well being of children. They need secure and a healthy environment for their upbringing. However it is not that possible to have the parents or their extended families carry these responsibilities. The Government needs to step up the mental health policies and childcare. Even if the United States has that set up then why is there such a significant rise of suicides in children and mental disorders with the young ones? It is also about sharing culture and maintaining grassroots parenting. This is a vicious generation cycle, which will probably take another generation to fix. The danger is that technology is moving faster than we can control it or us.

The world has several transport systems. The earliest known mode of transport to man were the use of horses, carriages and then the motorcar, until the railway line changed the dynamics. When the Wright Brothers were making the airplane, it was thought that is the craziest thing possible. Now we are hopping from continent to continent.

Every country is unique and while a metro is successful for London it may not be for Namibia. The best public transport systems in the world have been known to be in yes London, New York, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, Berlin, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Dubai and Zurich. But while their success mostly comes from the subways and railway lines, there is the successful Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) that has made life easier for many cities too. The Bus Rapid Transit System was first used in Curitiba, Brazil in 1974 where it requires the following corridor in order to operate successfully:

Be at least 3km length with dedicated lanes

Score 4 or more points in dedicated right-of-way element

Score 4 or more points in bus way alignment element

Score 20 or more points across all five BRT Basics element: these are Dedicated right-of-way, Bus way alignment, Off-board fare collection, Intersection treatments, Platform-level boarding

According to recent research BRT can reduce travel time by millions of hours so instead of us wasting our time at the mercy of the Kenyan Traffic Police, they too will get a relief. In Johannesburg users are saving 13 minutes each way during their daily commutes, so imagine what we could do with that kind of time. It is also an excellent way to keep commuters active, for example according to the World Health Organization adults aged 18-64 should walk at least 150 minutes per week, with this BRT they will have to because of parking the private vehicles at terminals and then heading to the bus station.

Recently the current Nairobi Governor, Evans Kidero announced that the BRT System would be built along Mombasa Road, Thika Super Highway, Ngong Road, Jogoo Road and Waiyaki Way. According to the research by the City Council of Nairobi, “about 8000 vehicles are registered by Kenya Revenue Authority each month and 7000 end up in Nairobi. At independence, Kenya had 3000 cars and about 800km of paved roads. In 1974, the country had about 3000 vehicles and 2000km of tarmacked roads compared to today’s 8000km.”

Kenya is on the path for further development, especially so with the phase 1 of the Standard Gauge Railway, which has been completed and successfully launched on 31st May. This mega project is a bigger picture of connecting East African passengers and cargo. The single-track line between Mombasa and Nairobi has been dubbed Madaraka Express and will pass through 40 stations. Kenya is definitely a growing economy and transportation of goods via the road network cannot be the only option to be relied upon. Thus, the SGR will make the bigger difference. The matatus and coach buses probably fear losing business in the entirety with all this development. But then again they have been a menace to the roads, with their reckless driving and rash behavior, maybe their time is over. There is no need for useless road rage that is converting regular drivers of saloon cars to join this rough gang of unruly drivers. We can be civil drivers, passengers and commuters. Also anyway most countries have multiple modes of transportation for various requirements, ultimately price and service will have to be king. The only discouraging thing is that usually Kenyans are so complacent with poor service that they really will not create that tipping point needed for a transformation in public transport. Yes it will have different options, but they will either deteriorate because of poor maintenance and corruption every step of the way, or really Kenyans will stand up and demand what is their right, their right to a better life, after all their taxes are running the nation.

What you are about to read is half-truth, because I am not a weight loss expert, doctor, dietician or exercise junkie. But this topic is affecting almost everyone even our little children.

According to the World Health Organization 2016 key facts sheet:

Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980.

In 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese.

39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2014, and 13% were obese.

Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.

41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2014.

Obesity is preventable.

The signs have never been more obvious that a good weight, diet and health will give you a better life. So what is the current situation like?

Those who have parents around 60 to 70 years will notice that they are either in control of their weight or not. This can be due to many factors, poor will power, difficult circumstances at home or work. I would not say lack of education because that is growing exponentially, it is only up to them, do not forget they are also in the bracket of potential heart attacks, diabetes and other ailments.

They need immediate weight loss and healthy routine.

Younger parents are probably still managing to eat well and stay active unless they are drinking their bellies away at Korogas. They may land you a million shillings deal, but also get you a double bill at the hospital when you collapse from alcohol poisoning or cholesterol. You would rather play the golf, walk and still get a deal.

The youngest parents are in the more complex zone. Making babies, making ends meet, making children, in-laws, family happy and the list goes on, they are unable to take care of themselves, rarely. They need a lot of assistance and determination to stop, set the trend right and actually also enjoy life. Having barbeques or coffees catch ups will not ease your weight loss, it helps in talking about issues but tackle the main issue, weight gain, you need to drop it. Yes I know easier said than done, the first step is always denial that you have put on weight and very easily most buy bigger clothes to console their new gained inches. No, that can not be your ticket out. You have to face the facts and teach your children that this is important.

Yes, let’s come to the overly image conscious children. Fair enough quite a few are mindful of not eating junk and want to remain slim. But do not deny them their basics, eat everything but of course in moderation. Make the children feel proud for who they are and not how they are.

Will exercise get you out of this rut? Yes and no.

Yes because you need to kick off the burning off the calories and stop being lazy. No because you can not run and then run after a big meal.

So balance things out.

Does a good diet get you off this rut? Yes and no.

Yes because if you eat healthy you are preserving your body.

No because exercise is a necessary addition.

It will boil down to a healthy attitude, yes that’s the only thing that can save you.

Do not compare and be little your body, it is the sophisticated machine giving you much more than you think.

Love yourself, love your body and give it the beautiful treatment it deserves.

Whatever variation works for you and please consult an expert especially if you are on obesity borderline or have crossed. Do not pull off any diet or exercise regime without proper supervision because you may damage more than you think. Some things are obvious, for example walking, drinking more water and so on but really take a moment and grasp what you are doing to your body and why? Is there an emotional burden you are carrying that is blocking your release of weight loss? Take care of you.

This World Aids Day the theme is “HIVNOTRETRO” so let’s revisit this viral disease that has consumed the lives of millions.

Some facts from the World Health Organization:

Infection results in the progressive deterioration of the immune system, breaking down the body’s ability to fend off some infections and other diseases. AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) refers to the most advanced stages of HIV infection, defined by the occurrence of any of more than 20 opportunistic infections or related cancers.

HIV can be transmitted through:

Unprotected sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal) or oral sex with an infected person;

Transfusions of contaminated blood;

The sharing of contaminated needles, syringes or other sharp instruments;

The transmission between a mother and her baby during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

Globally, an estimated 36.7 million (34.0–39.8 million) people were living with HIV in 2015, and 1.8 million (1.5–2.0 million) of these were children.

gains already made and what can be achieved in the coming years through a

Fast-Track approach. In just the last two years the number of people living with

HIV on antiretroviral therapy has increased by about a third, reaching 17.0 million people—2 million more than the 15 million by 2015 target set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011. Since the first global treatment target was set in 2003, annual AIDS-related deaths have decreased by 43%. In the world’s most affected region, eastern and southern Africa, the number of people on treatment has more than doubled since 2010, reaching nearly 10.3 million people. AIDS related deaths in the region have decreased by 36% since 2010.

Kenya has the joint fourth-largest HIV epidemic in the world (alongside Mozambique and Uganda), in terms of the number of people living with HIV, which was 1.6 million people in 2013. Roughly 58,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in the same year although this dropped by 32% between 2009 and 2013.1 There are now 1.1 million children orphaned by AIDS.

The first case of HIV in Kenya was detected in 1984, and by the mid-1990s it was one of the major causes of mortality in the country putting huge demands on the healthcare system as well as the economy. HIV prevalence peaked at 10.5% in 1996, and had fallen to 6% by 2013 mainly due to the rapid scaling up of antiretroviral treatment (ART).

Let’s talk about AIDS.

In Kenya unfortunately the highest prevalence is between married couples. How come? If we take a typical married couple then here are some harsh facts:

Most have a child out of wedlock

A traditional wedding expenses prevents a proper union

Modern wedding phenomenon also does not help

Multiple partners are part of this “marriage”

The above are just some obvious signs of broken relationships and worse health statuses. At the core religion plays a crucial role it is up to the Papacy to say whether condoms are allowed or not. In the recent Zika virus crisis Pope Francis said that the use of condoms was ok, while the Church is known to be one of the largest caregivers to HIV patients, it mostly rebuffs comments on using condoms to prevent HIV.

Thus, as Kenyans it comes down to the culture. We have to come out of our shells and discuss serious topics and take responsibility. Going into a marriage when you do not know your HIV status is like signing up for a death sentence for life. This goes for all communities and should be seen as taking personal health seriously. There is nothing wrong in looking up your spouse’s health status, just like when the woman is ready to conceive and the gynecologist asks about the family medical history, so why not about sexual diseases? It is your right as both man and woman to know. There are no hidden facts that quite a few marriages are already having affairs so why would you want to poison your family with a disease you are bringing home because you cannot control your desires. Marriage is a partnership for better or for worse, but does not let that worse be the end of a life.